The Place of Revelation of Sūrah al-Ḥamd

There is disagreement about whether Sūrah al-Ḥamd is Meccan or Medinan. Most exegetes hold that it was revealed in Mecca.(28) Some consider it to be Medinan,(29) while others believe that God, the Glorified, sent it down twice (once in Mecca and once in Medina) to honor this sūrah and emphasize its importance.(30)

The disagreement about whether Sūrah al-Ḥamd is Meccan or Medinan has no exegetical consequence, as it does not contain any verse whose meaning would differ based on the place of revelation. However, several proofs have been presented for it being Meccan:

On the Meccan Provenance of Sūrah al-Ḥamd

In the blessed chapter of Sūrah al-Ḥijr, God, the Glorified, says to the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.): “And We have certainly given you seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qurʾān.” (15:87) Considering that Sūrah al-Ḥijr is one of the Meccan chapters and the meaning of “seven of the often repeated [verses]” (sabʿan min al-mathānī) in it, according to the narrations of the infallible Imāms (a.s.), is Sūrah al-Ḥamd,(31) and on the other hand, the granting of al-sabʿ al-mathānī to the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) is expressed using the past tense verb “We have given you” (ātaynāka), therefore, Sūrah al-Ḥamd is also Meccan and was revealed before Sūrah al-Ḥijr.

It is mentioned in the narrations of both sects that the foundation of prayer is the blessed chapter of Sūrah al-Ḥamd: “There is no prayer except with Fātiḥat al-Kitāb.”(32) And prayer was instituted in Mecca before the migration. The esteemed scholar ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī (may his soul be sanctified) says:

Although the prayer with its current form and characteristics was legislated on the night of ascension (mi_ʿ_rāj), it can be inferred from many verses in the Meccan chapters, including the noble verse “Have you seen the one who forbids a servant when he prays?” (96:9-10), that the principle of prayer, at least in the form of prostration and recitation of a part of the Qurʾān, was legislated in the early days of the prophetic mission.(33)

In some Sunni exegeses, to prove the Meccan nature of the blessed chapter of al-Ḥamd, narrations from the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī (a.s.) are cited, such as: “Fātiḥat al-Kitāb was revealed in Mecca from a treasure beneath the Throne.”(34) In Shi’a hadith collections, a similar narration is reported from him (a.s.): “The first thing revealed to him in Mecca was Fātiḥat al-Kitāb...”.(35) Also, Imām al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) says: “The first thing revealed to the Messenger of God in Mecca after he was appointed as a prophet was al-Ḥamd.”(36)

Regarding the Order of Revelation of Sūrah al-Ḥamd

In the previous discussion, some statements and evidence were presented suggesting that Sūrah al-Ḥamd was the first chapter revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad (s.a.w.). However, some Qurʾānic scholars, based on the narration of Jābir ibn Zayd and similar reports as well as some historical texts, have considered it to be the fifth revealed chapter, being revealed after the chapters _al-ʿ_Alaq, al-Qalam, al-Muzzammil, and al-Muddaththir, and before Sūrah al-Masad.(37)

The Number of Verses in Sūrah al-Ḥamd

Sūrah al-Ḥamd, by the consensus of Muslims,(38) consists of seven verses. Based on the narrations from the infallible and pure Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), the noble verse “In the Name of God, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful” (bismillāh al-raḥmān al-raḥīm) is its first verse. It was said to the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): “O the Commander of the Faithful, inform us about ‘In the Name of God, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful’. Is it part of the Opening of the Book (Fātiḥat al-Kitāb)?” He replied, “Yes, the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) would recite it and count it as a verse from it...”(39)

Therefore, reciting “In the Name of God...” at the beginning of Sūrah al-Ḥamd is not merely for seeking blessings through it, but rather it is a part of the chapter. Hence, in case of the obligatory recitation of Sūrah al-Ḥamd, whether in prayer or otherwise, if it is recited without bismillāh, the command of God Almighty has not been obeyed.

The Clearest Evidence for the Number of Verses in Sūrah al-Ḥamd

The clearest evidence for the number of verses in Sūrah al-Ḥamd is the noble verse: “And We have certainly given you seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qurʾān.” (15:87) According to the testimony of narrations from the infallible Imāms (a.s.), what is meant by this is Fātiḥat al-Kitāb (the Opening of the Book).(40) The narrations of both sects (Shi’a and Sunni) also confirm this number without any disagreement.(41) The only difference regarding the verses of this chapter is about the division and demarcation of its verses, not the original number seven. This is because those who have considered “In the Name of God, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful” (bismillāh al-raḥmān al-raḥīm) as the first verse of Sūrah al-Ḥamd have counted from “The path of those...” (ṣirāṭ alladhīna...) to the end of the chapter as one verse, while others who do not consider the basmalaas a verse of this chapter have counted “Not [the path] of those...” (ghayri l-maghḍūbi...) as a separate verse.

The Best of Verses

In some narrations, the basmala has been mentioned as the greatest verse of the Qurʾān: “And which is the greatest verse in the Book of God?” He (s.a.w.) said: “In the Name of God, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.”(42) Similarly, Muḥammad b. Muslim narrates from Imām al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) that the basmala is the best verse of Sūrah al-Ḥamd: “I asked Abū ʿAbdillāh (a.s.) about the seven oft-repeated [verses]... Are they [referring to] al-Fātiḥa?” He said: “Yes.” I said: “Is ‘In the Name of God, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful’ from the seven oft-repeated?” He said: “Yes, it is the best of them.”(43)

Although the basmala is considered among the best verses, since it is not exclusive to Sūrah al-Ḥamd, it cannot be counted as one of the best only in this chapter. It seems that from the perspective of theoretical wisdom, the informative content of the blessed verse “All praise belongs to God, Lord of all the worlds” (_al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-_ʿālamīn), and from the perspective of practical wisdom, the informative content of the noble verse “You [alone] do we worship, and to You [alone] do we turn for help” (iyyāka na__ʿ__budu wa iyyāka nasta__ʿīn) are considered among the best verses of Sūrah al-Ḥamd.

General Outlines of the Teachings of the Chapter

As mentioned at the beginning of the preface, Sūrah al-Ḥamd encompasses the essence of the teachings of the Noble Qurʾān, and for this reason, it has been named Umm al-Kitāb (Mother of the Book) and Umm al-Qurʾān (Mother of the Qurʾān). The teachings of this sūrah can be divided in several ways from different perspectives, some of which will be outlined below:

First, the teachings of the Noble Qurʾān have three fundamental and central parts: one part is related to the Origin and Divine Unity (tawḥīd) in essence, attributes, actions, and worship; another part is related to the Return (to God); and the third part, which fulfills human needs between the Origin and the Return, concerns guidance and misguidance, meaning it clarifies revelation, prophethood, and religion. Sūrah al-Ḥamd also encompasses the essence of the aforementioned parts, as discussed earlier.

The main themes of the teachings in Sūrah al-Ḥamd have been introduced in some narrations as praise (taḥmīd), sincerity (ikhlāṣ), and supplication (du__ʿāʾ), which respectively refer to the three parts of this sūrah: “The sūrah whose beginning is praise, middle is sincerity, and end is supplication: Sūrah al-Ḥamd.”(44)

Second, The late Shaykh Bahāʾī (may God have mercy on him) has derived the four levels of praise from this sūrah as follows:

a) Loving and passionate praise, which is the praise of the Divine Essence and concerns the worthiness of the Divine Essence for praise. For such praise, the expression “al-ḥamdu lillāh” (All praise belongs to God) suffices.

b) Grateful praise; at this level, the praiser praises and thanks God Almighty for His absolute Lordship and beneficence, and the expression “_Rabb al-_ʿālamīn” (Lord of the worlds) refers to it.

c) Merchant-like praise, which is praise out of hope, desire, and longing for reward, and “al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm” (the All-beneficent, the All-merciful) alludes to it.

d) Slave-like praise, which is praise of God due to fear of His punishment, and it is expressed by the noble verse “Mālik yawm al-dīn” (Master of the Day of Judgment).(45)

This anecdote, derived from some _ḥadīth_s, expresses the levels of praise (ḥamd), such as:

“Worship is of three kinds: A group who worship God Almighty out of fear, and that is the worship of slaves. A group who worship God, the Blessed and Exalted, seeking reward, and that is the worship of hirelings. And a group who worship God out of love for Him, and that is the worship of the free, and it is the best worship.”(46)

“Indeed, a group worshipped God out of desire, and that is the worship of merchants. And indeed, a group worshipped God out of fear, and that is the worship of slaves. And indeed, a group worshipped God out of gratitude, and that is the worship of the free.”(47)

Based on a ḥadīth qudsī (that is, a tradition in which God is the speaker, but whose contents are not part of the Qurʾān), Sūrah al-Ḥamd, which is in the position of teaching the etiquette of praise (taḥmīd) and the manner of expressing servitude, is divided between God, the Glorified, and the journeying servant (ʿabd al-sālik). The first part, which has five verses and includes praise and glorification of God and humility and submission before Him, belongs to God. And the final part of the chapter, which has two verses and includes supplication and request, is the share of the journeying servant: “I have divided the Opening of the Book (Fātiḥat al-Kitāb) between Myself and My servant. Half of it is Mine and half of it is My servant’s...”(48)

Third, The essence of Sūrah al-Ḥamd is gratitude for the blessings received in the past and seeking aid and assistance for future mercies in the present and future. As the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) has coupled praise (ḥamd) and seeking aid (istiʿāna) in some of his sermons, saying:

“We praise Him for what has been and we seek His aid in our affairs for what will be. And we ask Him for well-being in religions just as we ask Him for well-being in bodies.”(49)

He also says: “I praise Him for the completion of His blessings... and I seek His aid out of need for His sufficiency.”(50) “We praise Him for His favors just as we praise Him for His trials. And we seek His aid against these souls that are slow in what they have been commanded and quick towards what they have been forbidden from.”(51)

The philosopher and mystic Mullā Ṣadrā says:

Sūrah al-Ḥamd, along with the introduction added to it in prayer, forms eight parts that are connected to the eight gates of Paradise. The worshipper who recites Sūrah al-Ḥamd with its special etiquette in prayer has entered Paradise through all of its eight gates. These gates are as follows:

The gate of knowledge (ma_ʿ_rifah), which the worshipper enters by saying: “I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth.”

The gate of remembrance (dhikr), by reciting the verse: “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful”

The gate of gratitude (shukr), with the noble verse: “All praise belongs to God, Lord of all the worlds.”

The gate of hope (_rajā_ʾ), by reciting the verse: “the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.”

The gate of fear (khawf), by mentioning the verse: “Master of the Day of Retribution.”

The gate of sincerity (ikhlāṣ), by saying: “You [alone] do we worship, and You [alone] do we ask for help.”

The gate of supplication (du__ʿāʾ) and humility (_taḍarru_ʿ), by reciting the verse: “Guide us on the straight path.”

The gate of following the pure spirits, by reciting the verse: “The path of those whom You have blessed...”(52)

Reminder: By examining the general lines of the teachings of Sūrah al-Ḥamd and its central discussions, it became clear that the purpose of this sūrah is to teach and train in the etiquette of praise (taḥmīd) and the manner of expressing servitude before God, the Glorified. Teaching the method of seeking assistance (isti__ʿāna) and requesting guidance from God, as well as acquaintance with how to traverse the path, is another objective of this sūrah.

Coherence of the Sūrah

The late Amīn al-Islām Ṭabarsī says regarding the order and coherence of Sūrah al-Ḥamd:

When a person observes the divine blessings, which their own deficiencies and needs are clear evidence of, they begin their speech with the name of the Benefactor, saying: “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful” (bismillāh al-raḥmān al-raḥīm). After acknowledging the existence of the One Benefactor, they engage in praising and thanking Him: “All praise is due to God” (al-ḥamdu lillāh).

Realizing the universality of God’s blessings, they say: “Lord of the worlds” (_rabb al-_ʿālamīn). When they understand that God, glory be to Him, not only nurtures all beings but also takes responsibility for their sustenance, they acknowledge the absolute mercy of the Truth: “The Compassionate” (al-raḥmān).

Upon witnessing the disobedience of the wicked and God’s respite and forgiveness, they speak of His special mercy: “The Merciful” (al-raḥīm). Observing people’s transgressions against each other’s rights, they acknowledge the Day of Reckoning, the reins of which are solely in God’s hands: “Master of the Day of Judgment” (mālik yawm al-dīn).

After traversing these stages and levels of knowledge and witnessing the beautiful names of God, glory be to Him, they find Him alone worthy of worship and find themselves in His presence. Then, shifting from narration to address, they say: “You alone do we worship” (iyyāka na_ʿ_budu).

Realizing that traversing the path of worship is impossible without the help of God, glory be to Him, they declare: “and You [alone] do we ask for help” (wa iyyāka nasta__ʿīnu). Seeing that there are many paths and diverse travelers upon them, they ask God, glory be to Him, for the best path: “Guide us on the straight path” (ihdinā al-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm).

Finally, finding it difficult to traverse the straight path alone and feeling the need for knowledgeable companions, they say: “The path of those upon whom You have blessed” (ṣirāṭ alladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim). And so that no stranger may accompany them on this path, they say: “not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray” (ghayr al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa lā al-ḍāllīn). In this way, they combine allegiance (tawallī) to the friends of God and disavowal (tabarrī) of His enemies.(53)

The Rewards of Recitation

In some narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), there is a special emphasis on reciting Sūrah al-Ḥamd. The secret behind the great emphasis of narrations on reciting this chapter becomes clear from the topics that have been discussed so far regarding the importance and secrets of its naming. Some of these narrations are as follows:

The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.), after explaining the virtues of this chapter and the great reward of reciting and listening to it, said: “So let each of you take abundant advantage of this good that is offered to you, for it is a blessing. Do not let its time pass, lest regret remains in your hearts.”(54)

That noble one also said: “Whoever recites the Opening Chapter of the Book (Fātiḥat al-Kitāb), God, the Glorified, will give him the reward of reciting all the verses revealed from the heavens after each verse [of Sūrah al-Ḥamd].”(55)

In some narrations, the reward of reciting Sūrah al-Ḥamd is equivalent to the reward of reciting two-thirds of the Qurʾān and giving charity to all the believers, such as: “Whichever Muslim recites the Opening of the Book (Fātiḥat al-Kitāb) will be given a reward as if he had recited two-thirds of the Qurʾān and will be given a reward as if he had given charity to every believing man and woman.”(56)